Hidden Secret
by beanie0700
Summary: After Skye discovers the truth about her origins, she is shell shocked. Luckily, her S.O is there to help. How long will she be able to keep the truth from her? (Takes place between 2x11, 2x12, and after 2x12) (One-shot)


**Hi there! This is another Skye and May mother-daughter bond one-shot. Thanks to all of you who have read and given a great response to "She Is Warm". Sorry to those people who have been waiting for another one-shot. Hopefully everyone enjoys this. This second half of the season has been mind-blowing! (** _ **The first scene has a little Philinda. The first 3 scenes take place between 2x11 and 2x12, the fourth scene is between 2x12 and 2x13. The third scene takes place right before the training scene we see in episode 2x12).**_

The long hours had settled in on her body. Her brain had not had enough time to fully wrap itself around the information that had been discovered. But the day was coming to a close, and now she had time to process it all. Maybe a little too much time. With the revelations of the last few days, she felt like she could sleep for a very long time. Well, a long time for her. Nightmares usually obstructed her brain and prevented total unconsciousness from occurring. Her mind was running through everything that had happened. It was perusing over each detail, coming up with deep perceptions of how to move forward. It was keeping her awake. For once in Melinda May's life, she was over-thinking.

But her thoughts were quickly shaken, as she heard the familiar sound of a plane touching down. She followed the noise outside, the engine slowly powering down. She watched silently, seeing her best friend emerge from the aircraft door. Coulson took a large step out of the vehicle, no longer carrying Trip's yellow suitcase. His face was paved with sorrow. He made his way towards her, plaintively placing his hand on her shoulder. No words were exchanged, but the communication was made.

Coulson strode back inside, May slowly followed. Their feet made their way up the stairs and down the hall, all the way to Coulson's office. Once the door was closed soundly, Phil steadily removed his suit jacket and placed it on the back of his chair. He loosened his tie, moving it over his head. It was soon placed on the same furnishing holding his jacket. His shoes would be next in the process, but he stopped short as May interrupted him.

"How do you think Skye's holding up?" The question was simple, but it still managed to throw him off. Instead of responding, he sank down into his seat. His eyes, finding her's. It was clear that May was worried. Her face had been covered in an expression that he had normally only seen directed at himself. It was one of concern. He sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be asking such a question if she thought Skye was alright.

"She's been through a lot," he stated, simply. Neither expressing whether he thought she was alright or not. May cocked her head, perching herself on the chair in front of him.

"Yes. She has been through a lot. But that's what concerns me. She hasn't talked to either one of us about it. She's bottling it up. She's holding something back, Phil." He ran a hand over his tired face, trying to shake away the fatigue. He agreed with May wholeheartedly. Skye wasn't dealing with things the way she normally did. She would usually come to him for support. If she didn't do that, then she would focus entirely on her training. But something was different this time. Maybe it was the death of Trip, or what she saw in the temple. Yet, something wasn't right.

"What should we do?" he asked with wonder.

"Be there for her. We can't push her into telling us something that she doesn't want to talk about. We have to wait. She'll talk when she's ready."

* * *

The breath caught in her throat, her saliva was thick. She sat up in the sheets, trying to shake the horrific memories from her mind. She wiped the hot sweat from her forehead, pushing the duvet away from her body. She swung her legs away off the bed, her bare feet finding the cold cement floor. She stayed there for a few seconds, waiting for her breathing to become even again. Her back was wet, drenched in perspiration. She took the smooth, damp material of her shirt and shook it, airing the cloth out. She stretched her back out, pushing her body upwards.

She had managed to lie to everyone. She knew that the team was currently too stirred up to deal with the information that she and Fitz were hiding from them. But she didn't know how long she could keep it in. It was eating away at her from the insides. In the past few months, she had stressed the importance of honesty to both Coulson and May. They had hid the alien writing from her for quite some time, and she didn't want to be left in the dark. She had known that they were hiding something from her. This belief in honesty threatened to emerge now. Boiling under the surface, trying to break free. She felt terrible keeping something like this from them. She ultimately knew that they would understand and would want to protect her. But it wasn't them she had to be concerned about. Mack's words had been denunciations. They had shown his true colors. But the thing that bothered her the most was Simmon's reaction. She knew that the scientist would eventually come around, but for the time being, it stung.

She began treading forward, outside her bunk and into the hallway. The floor sent shivers up her feet and into her legs. Her arms found their way around her shoulders, crossing over her body protectively. This base, this team had formed a special place in her heart. They were what kept her going. But now she had to question everything. Was this really home? Or was it just an illusion that she had created in her mind. Her body worked on autopilot while her brain thought about the things keeping her awake. She didn't know where she was going, but she wasn't too surprised when she discovered herself in the kitchen.

The base had a few areas devoted to cooking and food storage. Each area designated to a specific group of people. This was the main eating area. Skye silently contemplated what she was doing there, and if she wanted to eat anything. Her palms found their way to the refrigerator door, pulling it open to exam it's contents.

"Little late for a midnight snack." Skye's shoulders jerked in surprise, but quickly relaxed after recognizing her S.O.'s soft voice. She turned her view from the variety of sustenance, towards the older woman.

"It's not too late. It's only 2:00," Skye uttered, slightly shocked to hear her own hoarse voice. May shrugged her shoulders silently. She seemed tired. Out of all the instances Skye had seen the woman, very few times would she have considered her 'tired'. It was May she was talking about. But the small circles paved under her mentor's eyes begged to differ. She had most likely stayed up waiting for Coulson.

"No except we usually get up in three hours." May respond back. Skye supposed that she was right. She always was. Skye slowly nodded her head in agreement, rotating back towards the fridge. She pulled out the container of orange juice. It was morning after all. Skye had hardly had the time to unscrew the cap, when May slid two mugs towards her. She mumbled a quiet thanks, filling the cups with the cool liquid. May silently took a glass and strolled over to the table positioned in the middle of the room. They didn't need to speak words. Skye knew that May was staying. But she found that she really didn't mind. Skye discovered herself making her way towards the same table, sinking into the stiff chair. They sat there, quiet for minutes, the silence comfortable. Throughout the time they had know each other, they had done this on several occasions. They could sit there for minutes at a time, enjoying the comfort in each others presence. May had been rubbing off on Skye, teaching her to appreciate the advantages of tranquility. Surprisingly, it had been May to interrupt the peace that had settled between them.

"How you holding up?" she asked, matter-of-factly. Skye was someone shocked at the brusqueness of May's question.

"Alright," Skye lied. It was obvious that Skye wasn't 'alright', in fact she was far from it. May simply quirked an eyebrow.

"Ok. I'm not alright. How could I be? Trip's dead, my dad's a nutjob, I found out my mother died because of Whitehall, and I had to stay in a room being monitored for a whole day," she said, brushing her bangs from her face. May nodded, softly.

"I'm sorry for pushing you," May spoke, faintly. Skye had been through a lot. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause her to feel worse than she already did.

"No. It's fine. It happened. I can't hide from it." Her S.O. nodded again, sighing quietly. Skye looked back down at her mug, taking a small sip from it.

"How's your hand?" May asked directing her gaze toward Skye's bandaged palm. She shrugged softly. They had suddenly changed roles. May was instigating all of the conversation, while Skye would answer back, sometimes offering her opinion.

"Let me see," May said, taking a hold of Skye's hand. She immediately noticed it's cool temperature. She turned it over, Skye's palm facing upwards. May looked it over for a few seconds, making sure it looked up to par. When she was done, she placed it back on the table, never letting go of it.

"Skye," May started, "if you need anything, anything at all. Coulson and I are here." Skye clearly nodded. May was making it really difficult for her to hide this from them. She would tell them eventually. Before she registered what was happening, tears were streaming down her face.

"Hey, it's alright," May said, rubbing her thumb over Skye's hand. This girl had become the closest thing to a daughter she ever had. It was tearing her apart to see her like this.

"I could really use that hug right about now," Skye uttered, causing May to smile. She stood, surprised how quickly Skye threw her arms around her. She slowly returned the embrace, wrapping her arms around the young woman.

"We're going to make it through this, Skye. Whatever happens, we'll do this together."

* * *

 _Jab, reverse punch, back hand. Jab, reverse punch, back hand._ Her hands flew over the heavy bag, completing the same rhythm, over and over. _Focus, Skye._ She thought to herself. _Just me and the bag. Breathe, breathe, breathe._ The thoughts were slowly becoming too hard to bear. They had been wrapping themselves around her brain, slowly devouring her. It felt like she had been completely inundated by the hidden secret. She had to keep reminding herself that it was for the better. The team wouldn't be able to handle it yet. So she needed to keep it on the inside. _Uppercut, uppercut, uppercut._ Her breathing had become shallow. With every strike would come a small exhale, coughing out of her lungs. Her lungs themselves were burning, much like her bare hands. _The bag. Focus on the bag!_ She yelled in her mind. _Let everything else fade into the background._

"Skye," her eyes shifted from the heavybag to the woman in front of her. "What are you doing?" She ignored her S.O, pounding the bag harder and harder. May's eyes followed her trainee's movements, finding her hands. They were visibly dripping with blood.

"Skye! Hey!" May called out. Skye didn't register what was happening. But she felt May physically drag her body away from the bag. Skye's arms felt weak and flimsy, her hands raw.

"Are you alright?" she asked, although it was clear that Skye wasn't. May's hands moved to Skye's, tracing the newly beaten up skin. The heavybag Skye had been using was covered in a thick, rough material, unlike some of the other smoother bags. It had resulted in her skin ripping and bleeding.

"Skye," the older woman said softly. She slowly turned the young woman's hands over, seeing that she was bleeding even more there. Skye had managed to tear open her steadily healing cut. The cut had been caused when she tried to clean up the glass from the headlamp a few days before.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." Skye nodded, following her S.O. off the mats. The small trek to the med area was filled with silence, something that both women were accustomed to. But it was strange, in a way that it had never been before. May had a firm grip on Skye's upper arm, gradually guiding her through the Playground. It was clear to Skye that May was worried more than anything. It appeared as though May was shielding her from the looks that some of the other agents were giving them as they passed. When they reached the lab area, May continued to bring Skye forward into a small corner of the room. She wasn't all that surprised when May instructed her to sit. This meant that May had the intentions of actually patching her up, instead of having one of the medical agents do it.

Skye hadn't been thinking. Her body had been on autopilot. The secret she was holding was beginning to bubble at the surface. She had let her emotions get the better of her. Skye let out a shaky breath, feeling like an idiot.

"Care to explain?" May asked, cocking an eyebrow. It was clear that something was bothering her. May was both concerned and shocked by Skye's actions. She had left the training room for merely three minutes, only to come back and find Skye inflicting pain on herself. It was clear that she hadn't meant to. After May had dragged Skye away from the bag, it was obvious that whatever trance she had been under, was finished. May silently cursed herself for leaving. Skye sighed, letting the air out of her lungs. She looked up at her S.O, feeling ashamed of herself.

"I...I don't know," Skye said, suddenly feeling like a little kid. She ran her hand through her bangs, "I wasn't thinking. I...I'm sorry." May's eyes softened. She smiled sadly at the girl in front of her.

"It's not your fault," May said simply, but Skye knew that she wasn't just talking about the bleeding. Skye nodded.

"These last few days have been rough, Skye. A lot has happened. But you can't let your emotions control you. I know what it's like to feel guilt. But letting your emotions get the best of you does nothing." She turned away from Skye for a moment, collecting some bandage supplies. The silence soon returned between the two women. Both of them let it sit there, covering the room around them. Skye let May's words sink into her mind. They were both serious and sincere, two words that described everything that May was and everything she did. When May turned back around, she held several things. A large bottle of peroxide, a wet cloth, a sizable amount of creams and disinfectants, and a large pile of tape and bandages. She placed them all on the table next to Skye, first taking the wet cloth.

She gently pressed the cloth to Skye's skin, wiping the blood clean. Skye winced, feeling a pain shoot through her entire hand. May continued the action with the other hand. This time Skye actually let out a hiss of discomfort. May slowed her movements, tracing her thumb over the part of Skye's hand that was not damaged. She next moved onto the peroxide. After opening the bottle, May let the substance pour over Skye's wounds. The mixture bubbled and fizzed, cleaning the cuts. May continued the cleaning process, both women continuing to stay quiet. She soon finished the job by wrapping a few layers of tape around Skye's hands.

"There," May said, quietly. She patted Skye on the shoulder, signifying that she was done.

"Thanks," Skye uttered. She was grateful that May hadn't prodded at her. It was hard enough as it was to hold in the secret, any other added pressure was sure to cause it to surface. They stood there silent for a few moments.

"Are you hungry?" May asked, realizing that they hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

"A little, I guess," Skye responded, hoping that this would cause some sense of normalcy to return. May smiled back at her.

"Good. Maybe we can get back to training afterwards. Are you still up for some sparring?"

* * *

Her heart panged inside her chest. The buzzing continued to shake throughout her body. They finally knew the truth. It was out in the open, but she had yet to feel the relief that should have followed. She had lost control. The whole base had shook because of her. Sif had wanted her dead. An ally. If she had reacted this poorly, then how would Hydra be if they discovered the hidden secret? Coulson and May had tried to protect her. They had made it clear that they wouldn't abandon her. But Mack's reaction had not been as reassuring. Poor Fitz. He had tried to help her. He really did. But they had no idea as to what they were dealing with. She didn't know what she was anymore.

All of these thoughts had been running through her brain for the last hour. Her head itself was throbbing, dealing with the effects of the icer. How did this happen? Was it fate? How could a girl like her end up involved with an alien race. That's exactly what she was; a girl. A girl who didn't know her parents. A girl, who was so desperate to try to find the smallest sliver of information, that she had hacked into one of the world's largest agencies. A girl who had finally found a place to call her own, only to see one of her friends betray her and for her world to fall apart. A girl, who had finally found a home, a family, a group of people willing to give their lives for hers, only to find her real one. A girl who discovered that her true origins were worse than imaginable. She was just a girl. Now she had changed. She wasn't who she thought she was. She had abilities. Powers that she didn't know how to control. Had all of this been her destiny? She wanted to scream. Let all of the pain be torn away with her voice. She wanted the buzzing to stop. But all she could muster was a sob.

She was in the cage, secretly wishing she had stayed in her bunk. She curled herself into a ball, trying to protect her body from her mind. Her hands ran over her hair, fingers grabbing onto the loose strands. She wished it was a dream. She wanted to wake up in the safety of her bunk, realizing that she had never met the man named Cal.

Her body jerked forward. A hand had been placed on her shoulder. She untangled her limbs in order to find the source. She was relieved to once again see her S.O's face. May smiled sadly at her.

"Hey," May spoke softly, "you're alright." She took the hand that was resting on Skye's shoulder and moved it up to her head. She brushed Skye's bangs away. May then wiped the girl's tears from her face.

"Thanks," Skye managed to croak out. May simply nodded, unzipping her boots. She slid further onto the mattress, resting her back against the wall. Skye continued to sob, causing May to return her hand to Skye's side. She rubbed circles on the soft fabric of her shirt, trying to calm Skye down. After a few minutes Skye found May's hand.

"I'm sorry," Skye began, "I… I should have told you sooner."

"Skye, it's alright. You didn't know how to deal with it. You didn't know how we would deal with it," May stated, quietly.

"Yes, but I lied to you. Nothing justifies that," Skye argued. She seemed disappointed in herself. May shrugged.

"You did what you thought you had to do," May uttered, "Obviously some people couldn't handle this information. Don't beat yourself up about it." It was clear that May was referring to Mack. He had been unreasonable to say the least. It's not like Skye had wished this upon herself. The mention of Mack had cast a sad expression on Skye's face.

"Don't worry about him. He really has been showing his true colors lately," May reassured her. Skye nodded, but it still was a little disconcerting. There had been signs of this before. How Mack had reacted when Coulson hunted down the truth about the alien writing. His reluctance was also clear when they went to the alien city. But what could they do about it now? Nothing. Skye had the feeling that May was questioning his loyalty.

"We're worried about you, you know," May said softly, patting her trainee's hand. Skye knew that May was referring to Coulson and herself. She hadn't doubted that they were at all. But she also knew that what Sif had told them had made them question a few things. How would they be able to trust her again? Skye had lied to them. However, they hadn't seemed to care. All they had been focused on was her well-being, and protecting her. She should have known by then that they weren't going anywhere.

"I know," she spoke lightly. She shifted slightly, moving so she was sitting next to May. A few minutes went by, without either of them talking. It was familiar. It felt nice.

"You know you don't have to stay in here if you don't want to," May said, directing to the room around them. May clearly believed that Skye shouldn't let Mack bother her like he did. Although she knew that Skye's choice of staying in the cage was probably not because of him. In her mind, she was protecting the team. Skye merely nodded her head in response.

"It could get kind of boring in here," May uttered. She paused for a few seconds, still trying to convince Skye, "I guess I could bring you some playing cards or some books." This caused a smile to appear on Skye's face.

"Can you bring in some board games too," she asked, her grin growing.

"Sure. I'll be right back," May replied, patting Skye's arm as she moved to get up. She left for a few minutes, she returned fairly quickly considering what she had brought. Her arms were full, carrying various board games, books and food items. Skye got up to help her with the load. She was somewhat surprised to notice that May had changed into a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. After setting down her half of the items, she looked at the time on her Fitbit. It was later than she had expected. The rest of the team had most likely gone to bed by now. Skye's eyes glanced over all of the things that her S.O had brought. She had obtained a package of playing cards, like promised, Operation, two books, a magazine, and Scrabble. She had also gotten a few bags of chips, two bottles of water, and some other food products. May sank back into the mattress.

"I don't think Simmons will mind," May said, looking at the Scrabble game. Skye suddenly felt relaxed. Yes the last few days had been terrible, but it would all work out. It always did. As long as she had her team beside her, she'd be fine.

"So," May began, picking up the deck of cards, "Have you ever played War?"


End file.
